


Fishing for a Yes

by Breadcrumbs1783



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure & Romance, Bisexual Female Character, Comedy, Explosions, F/F, Fishing, Fluff and Angst, Fun, Gay Panic, Hunt Gone Wrong, Jaws References, Love, Marriage Proposal, Redemption, Romantic Comedy, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28760745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breadcrumbs1783/pseuds/Breadcrumbs1783
Summary: It's almost time to pop the question to Yang. Blake has planned everything out to the T. A nice, romantic fishing trip on a frozen lake will get Yang in the mood to say yes. Nothing could go wrong! Well, except for a gigantic Grimm Shark interrupting her proposal. Will Blake be able to defeat this fishy menace? Or will her proposal float down to the bottom of the lake?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 17
Kudos: 135





	Fishing for a Yes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Thank you for checking out this story. If you would like to see the cover art for this piece, click here! https://twitter.com/Kiyomi_des/status/1354126129364258816?s=20

Blake fiddled around with the ring in her pocket, just to make sure it was still there. Even after canvasing every inch of its surface with her fingers from morning to night, she still couldn’t believe it was real. The metal skin felt smooth and cold as if she was touching an ice sculpture. Blake traced her pointer finger up and down its circular shape and hummed.

“Looks like someone’s happy.”

Blake turned her attention away from her bounty to the person next to her. Yang had one hand on the steering wheel and an arm slung over the chair’s shoulder. There was a wild look in her eye as she drove the rickety car down the snow-beaten road.

“Um, yeah,” said Blake. She took out her right hand out of her pocket and laid it on her lap. She could still feel the metallic gloss imprint on her fingers. “I’m just happy you agreed to come.”

“Of course,” said Yang. “Why would I turn it down?”

“Because you’re not very good at fishing.”

Blake winged at the bluntness in her response. It came out a lot meaner than she intended it to. However, Yang didn’t seem to mind, as she snorted out some air and said, “True. Maybe you can give me some pointers.”

“I’d love to,” said Blake.

Blake looked outside her window and observed the shifting landscape. Tall, glorious pine trees covered in sugar-like snow rushed past the car as they drove down the muddy path. Like a diamond in the light, the snow glistened and sparkled as it defied the blazing sun. There was not a single puff of white in the vast azure sky. It was perfect, almost too perfect.

Blake was not a superstitious type, but it had seemed like she was bound for some misfortune soon. The whole weekend was going to plan. First, Blake casually, almost flippantly in a way, mentioned that Weiss had offered them a full retreat to a ski resort up in the Mistrial Mountains. Yang, the thrill-seeker she was, took the bait like a fish to a worm. Or perhaps Ruby to cookies, as Yang was certainly more beautiful than a fish. Then, for two whole days, Yang and Blake skied down the large pearl-colored slopes of the Braxton Resort and had the time of their lives. Except for that one part where Blake slipped while going down the hill and rolled down five hundred feet. Even then, as Blake rested her head in bed, she and Yang had a wondrous movie marathon. Yang let Blake pick the films, so Blake, of course, picked out Yang’s favorite movie, _A Cowgirl and A Gun._ While she thought some plot elements were quite ridiculous, like the main character putting the reins on a Beowolf mid-fight, she knew it made Yang happy and that’s all that mattered. The fireplace was burning crackling fire chips, the lights were dim, and shadows had canvased the room. Soon enough, after the movie had ended, the two of them got intimate. Blake couldn’t have asked for a better day. However, she hoped that this one would blow the previous one out of the water. Like a reflex, Blake touched the ring in her pocket and smiled.

The car experienced tiny tremors as it drove over small bumps and potholes in the road. Blake was worried that her black coffee slotted in the middle cup holder was going to jump out from its mug and onto the seats. Large, sloshy waves of caffeinated goodness shifted one side to the other in the cup, the splashes barely short enough to escape. As Blake was about to pick up the mug, Yang handed it to her.

“Here you go,” said Yang.

“Thanks,” said Blake as she took the mug. She took a small sip and felt the caffeinated broth travel down her throat, heating up her belly. It was a fleeting moment, though, as chills clawed up her body. Even though she was wearing a heavy coat, a sweater, a shirt, and a tank top, along with snow pants, she still felt as if icicles were forming over her body. The crack in her window certainly didn’t help. A small stream of chills stabbed at Blake and engulfed the car with winter torment.

“It’s no problem,” said Blake. “I just wish the heater in the car worked.”

“Me too,” said Yang. She pounded her fist on the dashboard a few times, and Blake felt a push of hot air exit the vents. “That’s what we get for buying the cheapest rental option.”

“Do you want a sip?” said Blake as she offered the mug to Yang. Even though Yang was naturally warm enough to be considered a human heater, Blake could see Yang’s jaw start to chatter.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Yang said.

“Are you sure?” said Blake.

“Yeah. All I need to do is activate my semblance, and I’m warmer than a marshmallow in a fireplace. Watch.”

Yang rolled her shoulders a few times, closed her eyes, and pulsated with power. Her hair illuminated like a smooth sunset as if flaming weaves of fabric had spun themselves around it. Her eyes turned a violent shade of red, and underneath her coat, her muscles expanded. The crisp crackle of fire chips could also be heard. It was as if the fireplace from last night had been made into human form.

“Wow,” Blake said. Compared to all Yang’s other semblance transformations, this one was different. Instead of a roaring fire, this seemed like a bubbling simmer.

“I know, right?” said Yang. “I’ve been training with Ren. Usually, I have to get angry to transform. But because I’ve been doing some yoga and meditating, I can use my semblance even when I’m calm. It’s not as strong as when I’m angry, but it doesn’t consume as much aura.”

Blake stared at Yang, mesmerized by the transformation. Her appearance was akin to a blooming sunflower, vibrant and full of life. Even though she couldn’t see the ring, she knew it’s luster paled in comparison.

As if the words tumbled out of her mouth, Blake said, “You really are one of a kind.”

Yang chuckled and said, “Heh. I guess you're right.” Yang clasped Blake’s hand, her metallic appendage caressing Blake’s fingers. “Ain’t nobody as lucky as me.”

After a few more minutes of driving, Yang turned their car to the left into even rougher terrain. The potholes and large rocks jumbled the car, and Blake lurched in all directions, desperately trying to keep the waves of coffee from escaping the mug. The car broke into a clearing, and Blake stared in wonder at the sight. She had seen the lake before in the photos, but it looked entirely different in person. It was a large frozen basin, miles long and stretching as far as the eye could see. The icy surface seemed more akin to tempered glass, it’s blue luminance giving off a sense of royalty and refinement. Wonderful, intricate patterns from the cracks sprawled out over the lake, as if a giant had started sculpting a masterpiece and the basin was its canvas. If Blaked squinted her eyes, she could see a stag in the ice galloping along. All the while, snow-covered trees surrounded the area. It was simply grand.

Yang drove the car to the edges of the beach and parked.“Here we are,” she said. “Lake Tragedy. Huh, weird name.”

Blake flashed a mischievous smile and said, “Do you want to know why this place is called that?”

“Why?”

“You sure you want to know? It might be too scary.”

Yang put her hands and her hips and said, “Blake, we hunt monsters for a living. I’m sure I can take it.”

Blake shrugged and said, “Apparently, below these frozen waters, dwells a Grimm unlike anyone has ever seen. It’s jaw as wide as a whale, it’s teeth sharper than a blade, and its size larger than any predator in the sea.”

Yang giggled and said, “I love it when you get all narratey.”

“Fifty years ago, a crew of fifty seamen traveled through this lake with their barge in tow.”

“Pfft. Seaman.”

“Yang.”

“Sorry.”

Blake rolled her eyes and said, “Fifty crew members sailed down this lake with a boat full of goods. They were armed to the teeth with cannons, harpoons, and even military-grade turrets. Their biggest fear was a pirate ambush. But they were wrong. Dead wrong.”

“The Grimm got them?”

Blake let out an evil laugh and said, “Oh yes. But it didn’t just ‘get’ them. The Grimm first tore the boat into tiny little pieces and as the sailors flailed around in the cold, murky waters, the monster gobbled them up, one by one. There was only one survivor, The Captain, but it seemed like his voice died alongside the crew. For months on end, he spoke no word to anyone, his eyes as lifeless as his soul. When he finally mustered up the strength to recount his tale, he said the Grimm could have killed them all within minutes, but took it’s time, almost as if it was snacking at a grand feast. Each hour, a crewmate would disappear below the black waters. No one swam to the banks, as they knew they’d only accelerate the inevitable. He heard men pray to whatever gods they knew for salvation, and in some cases, for the person next to them to be eaten first. Worst of all, The Captain said, was that he could see the Grimm’s lips jut upwards as it tore his men apart as if it was some sort of sick game. From the day on, no boat, no person, and no man has ever traversed these waters.

“Did they ever catch the Grimm?”

“Nope. After that day, it disappeared, gone from existence. Some say it’s just a legend, a myth made up by the locals to keep their beautiful lake clear from boat traffic. But there are those who profess it’s truth, saying that the beast is just slumbering, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.”

Blake heard Yang gulp, her eyes were now brimming with fear. “And what do they call the Grimm?”

“Chomp-Chomp.”

Yang paused and cleared her face of any expression. Then, she threw her head back and bellowed out a hearty laugh. She slapped the steering wheeling and said,“Chomp-Chomp? Are you kidding me? Wow, Blake. You almost got me there.”

Blake chuckled and said, “That’s the name they gave in the article I read. It’s silly, I know.”

Yang wiped a tear from her eye and said, “So, it’s real?”

Blake took another sip of coffee and said, “Probably not, but I thought you’d like fishing on a ‘cursed’ lake. Make it a bit more spooky.”

Yang flung her eyes past Blake’s head through the windows and mouthed something. “‘Warning: No trespassers.’ Blake, we’re not supposed to be here.”

Blake adjusted herself in her seat, raised her eyebrows, and said in a coy tone, “I know.”

“So, right now, we’re breaking the rules?”

“Yep.”

“And we’re gonna fish on the spooky lake?”

“Yep.”

Yang beamed and landed a wet smooch on Blake’s forehead. “Blake, you freaking genius.”

Blake put on a half-grin and said, “Don’t be so surprised. When you were fifteen, you were worried about whether Marcy J. was going to go to the dance with you. When I was fifteen, I blew up planes in mid-air. Rules only apply to me when I allow them.” She then opened the door and stuttered out of the car. Blake made sure her hips swung with more flair than usual as she walked towards the lake.

Blake heard Yang scramble out of the car and exclaimed, “W-wait for me!” right behind her. She smiled, tarried back to the back of the car, and opened the back door. There laid two fishing poles, a bucket, two small stools, a can of bait, and Gambol Shroud. She always carried it with her just for emergencies, but something told her she didn’t need it today. Still, wouldn’t she couldn’t be too cautious, so she slung it over her back and picked up her fishing rod.

“Need some help?” said Yang.

Blake nodded and handed Yang a stool, the bucket, and a fishing pole. It was very easy to differentiate who’s pole was who’s. Blake’s was a simple metallic black with a cartoon fish sticker on the handle, while Yang’s was yellow and had orange flames on the pole. Yang said it would make the fish faster, which made no sense to Blake. Blake herself carried the rest of the supplies.

“You ready?” said Blake.

“Yup,” said Yang as the supplies jingled and clanged in her hands. “Let’s go catch a big one!”

Blake and Yang walked out of the bank and onto the lake. With each step Blake took, she heard a subtle crunch of the ice. Each crackle raised her worry by a small degree, but a quick look at Yang’s relaxed expression belated her fears. Her fiery mane still glowed with the warmth of a campfire. Blake shook her head and scolded her fears. The ice seemed thick enough, around a foot at least. Certainly thick enough. And as for Grimm, there was nary a black spot in the surrounding woodline. Not that there should have been any, as Blake had a certain spring to her step and a bounce in her hips. She hummed a jovial song as she felt the ring jump about in her pocket.

After traveling around 300 feet into the lake, Yang stopped and said, “Think we should start here?”

Blake scanned the surrounding area for any sort of abnormalities. While she was quite adept at the normal sort of fishing, this variant was entirely foreign to her. However, she had read some articles online about best practices. The first step is making sure the ice is safe to drill. She crouched down and rapped her knuckles against the frozen floor. A hearty thunk responded to her inquiry. She then stood up and stopped her right boot down a few times, and heard no crackling emerge. If anything, this spot was thicker than the previous ones she had seen.

“Seems fine here,” Blake said. She and Yang placed their gear on the ground.

Yang stretched her arms out and cracked her knuckles. “Alright. Time to make a hole!” She cocked Ember Celica and reeled her fist up. Panic struck Blake as she realized what Yang was about to do.

“Nonononononono! Stop!” Blake said as she waved her hands in the air..

Yang stopped mid-swing and looked at Blake. “What? I’m making a hole.”

Blake put two fingers to her temple and sighed. “If you punch the ground, you’ll make all the surrounding area a hole. Especially with your semblance on.”

“Ooooooooh. Good point,” said Yang. “What should we do then?”

Blake responded by flipping out Gambol Shroud, unsheathing it, and sticking the blade into the ground.

“Want to draw the circle?” said Blake.

Yang rolled her head around and jumped in place a few times. “Don’t mind if I do.” She grasped Gambol Shourd’s handle with both of her hands and, faster than even Blake’s eyes could see, carved a perfect circle into the ground. It was about 3 feet in diameter.Yang lifted Gambol Should out of the ice, flipped it in the air, and handed it to Blake.

Blake giggled. “Showoff.”

“I aim to please,” said Yang. “How are we going to get the circle of ice out?”

Blake turned her blade into its hook formation and said, “Leave that to me.” She backed up five feet, spun the hook around by the ribbon, and launched it at the ice circle. The hook embedded itself in its target, and with a firm tug from Blake, extracted the ice circle from the ground.

Yang pulled out the hook and tossed it back to Blake. “Nice work.”

Blake took a mock bow in response as she sheathed Gambol Shroud and slung it over her back.

Blake and Yang pulled out two stools next to each other by the hole and sat down. After preparing their fishing poles and putting bait on the hooks, they threw their lines into the hole, stuck their rods in place, and began to wait. Blake took a deep breath and leaned back. Her body loosed up, releasing all the tension in her shoulders, her back, her legs, and other places where she didn’t even know there was tension. Her senses sharpened, and she heard a flutter of wings from a bird near the forest, and the cutting wind scrap across the ice. However, there was also a slight knot in her throat, and her foot tapped the ground with a downbeat rhythm. It was hard to fully relax when she knew what was coming next.

“So, I’m thinking after we’re done here, we go back to the lodge, get the fireplace going again, and have ourselves some fun, huh?” said Yang. She bounced her eyebrows a few times to punctuate her point.

“Sure,” said Blake. “We can play some of the board games we saw in the lobby. I think they had chess.”

“You kid too much,” said Yang. Yang reached her right arm over Blake’s shoulder and pulled her in. In an instant, Blake felt a frigid, almost painful sensation over her neckline, like a bar of ice had been smacked over the back of her neck. On reflex, Blake knocked the arm away and drew back from Yang. The moment that she realized what she did, however, her body washed with regret.

“Blake? What’s wrong–” Yang stopped herself and looked at her right arm. Her burning aura smoldered down, and her hair returned back to its blond state. Yang pressed two fingers against her right arm and recoiled back.

“Oh.” Yang's face turned a shade of red, and a bit of light flew from her eyes. “Sorry about that.”

“No no, it’s fine,” Blake said as she frantically waved her hands in the air. “I was just surprised is all. You can try again if you want.”

Yang looked down and rotated her arm as if looking at a foreign object. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “Sometimes I forget it’s not the real thing.”

Blake felt her heart clutch and she pursed her lips. The gusts of wind which was a mere annoyance a second ago now felt like daggers of frost cutting at her skin. Blake looked away from Yang and looked at the fishing hole. While it was distorted, Blake could see her reflection from the water.

“Yang,” Blake said, her voice as soft as a blanket of snow. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” said Yang.

Blake glanced at Yang’s right arm. The prosthetic was strong, hardy, and easily capable of performing all the basic tasks of a regular appendage. Yet….

“Do you ever miss your right arm?”

Yang blinked a few times in surprise. She looked at her arm again and said, “Well, yeah. Not all the time, but enough to miss it. Took me a long time to get used to it, you know? Like, I could only experience half the world now. I could only pet Zwei with my left hand because I felt nothing in my right. You know what I mean?”

Blake nodded. She looked down and fidgeted her feet as if she was conducting them to do the most awkward dance she could think of.

“But, you’re fine with it now?” said Blake.

“Yeah,” said Yang. She flicked her right arm down and cocked Ember Celcia. “I mean, my right arm is a freaking shotgun!How cool is that? It’s bulletproof, bite-proof, sword proof.Shaking hands with people is way funnier now too. I love it.”

Despite her proclamations, Blake could still see the edges of Yang’s smile fail to reach its tallest heights. The burning playfulness in Yang’s eyes had died to a small flicker of flame. Blake shifted around in her stool and put her hands together. If she was going to go through with this plan, then she had to know the full truth.

Blake took a deep breath and, with a fragile poise, said, “Yang, how mad at me were you when I left?”

Yang opened her eyes wide and placed her left hand to the back of her head. “Um, wow. That’s, that’s kinda hard to say. I wasn’t really angry at you. I was, like, angry at everything, you know?”

“What do you mean?” said Blake.

Yang leaned back in her stool, crossed her arms, and looked at the sky. She looked like she was trying to conjure images in the clouds above.

“Well, I was angry at myself, for one. I mean, great idea, Yang. Charging directly at the psychopathic with a glowy red sword really worked out, huh?” Yang let out a small laugh and lifted her right arm up, but Blake could make out the lines of sorrow etching across her face. “I was angry at my bed for not feeling the same. I was angry at the shower for having the shampoo bottles be on the right shelf. I was even angry at my Dad because he put my fork to the right of me on the table. I was just…. angry. But, for you, it was different.”

Blake curled her hands into balls and held back tears. She had to know every detail Yang felt during her absence, even if it tore her up inside.

“What do you mean, ‘different?’” Blake said.

Yang looked to the side and said, “I, uh, it’s-it’s complicated. I don’t think you want to hear it.”

“Please, tell me.”

Yang looked at Blake and pursed her lips. She continued on, her voice having a steady sadness to it. “Well, for you, I just had a lot of questions. I kept asking myself, ‘Really? That’s it? No goodbye, no letter, no nothing? I thought, between me and you, things would be different.’ I kept seeing you everywhere. When I heard footsteps, I thought it was you walking right beside me, just like at Beacon. Whenever I tried to make a joke, I heard your laugh. There was one time where I dropped a book on the ground in the middle of the living room. I’m clumsy, you know that. For a couple of seconds, I just stared at it on the ground. I didn’t realize what I was doing. When my Dad asked what I was waiting for, the first word that came to my mind was, ‘Blake.’ Cause you would always pick up my books whenever I dropped them in the hallway and give me a funny look. You’d tilt your head one way and raise an eyebrow as if you were saying, ‘You’re such a clutz.’ I was waiting for that.”

Yang wiped her eyes with her left sleeve and said, “And each time I saw you, all those questions came flooding back in. ‘Was I not good enough? Did I make her mad? Why did she leave?’ I was never mad at you, Blake. I guess I was just confused.”

Blake felt her bottom lip tremble and the floodgates of her eyes start to break, but she scolded herself into a presentable posture. She didn’t deserve the relief of tears. Not after what she had just learned. Not after what she had done.

Yang looked forward and put her hands into her pocket. “But, you know, that’s in the past. We’re here, you and me. And I guess that’s all that matters.”

One question still lingered in Blake’s mind. It took all of her effort to summon her voice, as it threatened to retreat back into the caverns of her body.

“Do you think I’ll leave again?”

Yang fell silent, the wind caressing her golden locks. She looked down at the ice and shifted her right foot.

“No. At least, not intentionally.”

“What do you mean?”

Yang continued to look down on the ground, her gaze hard and thoughtful.

“It’s…. It’s complicated.”

A hush enveloped the conversation. Blake looked at Yang, who had transformed into something fragile, and felt a primal desire to hold her. To pull her close and to vow impossible promises and desperate lies. Anything to make Yang know that Blake wasn’t going to leave again. Yet, her body refused to move an inch toward Yang, as if it knew such platitudes were doomed to fail. The only thing her body allowed her to do was to reach into her pocket and grasp the ring. It felt just like Yang’s right arm. Hardy, firm, unbreakable. Blake glanced at Yang one more time. She knew what she had to do.

Blake cleared her throat and said, “Hey, Yang?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m actually feeling a little hungry. There are some sandwiches in the car. Would you mind getting them? I’ll stay here and watch over the rods.”

“Um, sure,” said Yang. “Didn’t even know we had sandwiches.”

“Yeah,” said Blake, “They are in the backseat.”

Yang lifted herself off the stool and said, “Alright. Be right back.” She then trotted off across the lake and towards the car.

Once Yang was about five hundred feet away, Blake set her plan in motion. She grabbed Yang’s pole off from its stand and reeled the line in. The hook soon emerged from the water with the worm attached. Blake, with her pointer finger and thumb, pinched the wriggling creature off, threw it back into the water, and looped the ring onto the hook, it’s brilliant tangerine coat shining like a star in the winter sun. Blake then dipped the line back into the hole and put the poll right back in its stand. It was fast efficient, and just as Blake practiced it in the garage. Not a moment too soon, Blake heard the rising sounds of footsteps crunching against the ice draw near.

“Hey,” said Yang as she plopped herself on the stool. In her left hand held a black lunch bag, it’s surface dirty and marked from all of its expenditures. Yang opened it up and handed Blake a wrapped sandwich.

“Thank you,” said Blake. She unwrapped it and took a nibble out from the crust. Despite her earlier claims, her appetite was nowhere to be seen. Her stomach was already full of butterflies.

“So, anything exciting happen when I was gone?” said Yang.

The moment of truth. There would be no going back now. Blake’s hands shook, but not from the cold. She took a deep breath and said, “Y-yeah. I saw the line bob a minute ago. I think you should reel it in just to check.”

“Really?” said Yang. “Huh. Usually, it takes a lot longer for me to get something. The fish probably just bit off the bait.”

“Still, wouldn’t hurt to check,” said Blake.

Yang shrugged and began to pull her line in. As the spools in Yang’s reel began to fill up, anticipation welled up inside of Blake. The corners of her lips began to curl up, and her arms sprouted goosebumps. This would be the day she’d prove to Yang that she’s not leaving anymo– 

“Woah, I think we got a big one.”

“Wait. What?” said Blake.

Much to her surprise, Yang was pulling the rod back, shifting her weight to better tug the rod. Blake muttered underneath her breath. Of course some stupid fish would try to eat it. Not to worry though. She was sure Yang could easily best it and–

Yang lurched forward towards the hole before steadying herself. “Holy–This thing is a fighter!”

Blake got up from her seat and looked at the hole. The line was zig-zagging through the water, causing ripples to explode on the surface. She looked to Yang once more, whose face was now scrunched up with effort. Yang, the strongest person Blake knew, was having trouble pulling up a fish. What.

“Um, Yang?” said Blake. “Do you need any help?”

“Nope, I got it,” said Yang before she lurched forward again. Blake, on instinct, dashed towards Yang, wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist, and pulled. Her arms strained and flexed as hard as they could as she attempted to pull Yang. Not that she was providing much help, as her feet skid across the ice in a vain attempt to hold its ground. .

“Come on, stupid fish,” Yang said, her voice hoarse from the effort. “Get out of there!”

Blake’s arms began to feel warm, searing even. She saw Yang’s hair turn fiery yellow, and then molten-hot white.

“I. SAID. GET. OUT!”

With a mighty tug, Yang ripped the rod over her shoulder. Instead of a fish soaring out the hole, however, a horrendous tremor emerged. The ice cracked, spreading humongous fissures across the whole lake. Yang launched forward near the hole as her pole was ripped out of her hands, and she and Blake fell to the ground.

“Yang!” said Blake as she attempted to get up. “Are you okay–”

Another shockwave shook the lake, and Blake slipped onto the floor once more. The veins of fracture spindled from the hole and a monstrous boom from underneath the surface echoed throughout the area.

Blake got on her hands and knees and felt fear rush through her body. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Her legs wobbled as she stood up.

“What kind of fish is this?”

“Hey, Blake?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think this is a fish.”

There was a tone to Yang’s voice that was almost foreign to Blake when she heard it. It was fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. She looked over to Yang, who was gazing directly at the surface. Blake looked down at the icy floor and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then, the frozen mirror reflectd black from underneath the water. Black, with apparent hints of white, shaped almost like a pattern. Black, with two red glowing red orbs staring right at her. Black, like a Grimm. And it was charging right at them.

“Oh no–”

Before Blake could finish, a gigantic, black-bodied monstrosity exploded from the ice hole, sending large chunks of frozen shards into the sky. The black beast soared high over Blake’s head, it’s humongous body blotted out all light as it flew past the sun, before crashing down a few yards behind her. Blake bounced up several in the air from the landing and slipped once more. Before she hit the ground, however, she whipped out Gambol Shroud and planted both parts in the ground to steady herself. She looked at the Grimm, which was akin to a wriggling black mass of fins and teeth, and her legs began to shake once more. Floundering about the ice, its teeth gnashing and tearing at the air, was a Grimm Shark. The white bones of the skull covered the top half of its face, alongside the fins and the tail. The length of the beast had to be three cars long, at least. What was even more terrifying, however, was the size of its jaws. Rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth lined it’s inner maw like they were porcelain figures facing a pitch-black orchestra. The large flapping gills of it’s side breathed in and out, the crimson interior lining mixing well with it’s black skin. However, what was most striking about the beast was its scars. Across its right side was a large gash, it’s ebony skin lighter in shade compared to the rest of its hide. Multiple parts of the white bones were chipped and damaged, and the bottom tail fin had been clipped. Blake’s hands trembled, as she knew exactly who the beast was.

“It’s real,” Blake said, taking a step back. “Chomp Chomp is real.”

“Look at the size of this thing,” Yang said as she stood beside her. “It’s almost as big as a Goliath.”

“I’d say even bigger,” said Blake.

In the corner of her eyes, Blake saw a flash of yellow. Yang had cocked Ember Celica and gotten into a fighting position.

“Never fought one of these guys before,” said Yang. She grew an audacious smirk. “This ought to be fun.” 

“You want to fight this thing?” said Blake. “It’s huge! We need to get back up.”

Yang waved a hand and said, “Don’t worry, Blake. Me and you are enough to take ol’ Chompy here no problem. This is going to be our Catch of the Day.”

Blake shook her head in disbelief and whipped Gambol Shroud into position. She had taken on many a Grimm while in her team, yet she felt her grip on her blades shake.

“Let’s just get this done fast,” said Blake.

Chomp-Chomp shifted its body and lurched towards the two women, the snap of its jaws rattling Blake’s bones.

“You take the right side, I’ll take the left,” said Yang. “Time to turn this fish into sushi.”

Blake nodded and bent her knees. The faster they beat this thing, the faster she could get back to her plan. Like a spring, Blake launched herself at Chomp-Chomp, with a streak of golden radiance following beside her. The Grimm looked unfettered by their advance, however. It had stopped its wild tantrum and laid still. With a courageous battle cry, Yang leapt into the air and reeled her fist back. Just when she was about to punch the gills, though, the Grimm suddenly pivoted his body, swung his massive tail, and knocked Yang out of the air. Before Blake had any time to react, she felt her partner slam into her. She tumbled onto the ground and had the wind blown out from her lungs. She clutched her stomach and gasped for air.

“Wha–what was that?” said Blake. Feeling the air return back into her body, she stumbled back up and looked for Yang.

“Yang? Where are you–”

Yang was lying face down about ten feet away from Blake. Her aura flickered and reverberated before dissipating into small yellow particles. Blake heard Yang eek out a small groan as she raised her left hand up.

“Ow.”

Blake felt adrenaline spike through her body and rushed over to her partner. Halfway through her dash, however, she was once again knocked down by a quake. She flung her eyes over Chomp-Chomp and found it once again flailing about. However, this time it seemed different. The Grimm flung its head up and down onto the ice, creating a cacophony of breakage with each slam. Until, finally, the splintered floor broke underneath it, and it plunged into the water. A giant shadow appeared under the ice and rocketed towards one specific spot. Yang.

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh nonononononono.”

Blake picked herself up and sprinted towards Yang. In one smooth motion, she picked up her partner from the ground into a bridal position and continued running for dear. In any other instance, the weight from Yang’s body would slow down Blake significantly, but right now, she felt light as a feather. Seconds later, Blake heard a burst of ice and water from behind her along with the snap of jaws. No time to look back though. She had to run. That’s all that mattered at this point. Just run.

Blake glanced down to Yang and saw her partner’s eyes start to flicker half-open.

“B-blake?”

“Yes, Yang?” Blake said between breaths.

“H-have you been working out? Your arms feel toned.”

Blake grunted and said, “Not now, Yang!”

She could still hear the rampage of ice breaking behind her. It was as if Chomp-Chomp was wading through wet paper. The rancid, almost acidic smell traveled up Blake’s nose and threatened to make her gag. Her lungs burned, her legs screamed to stop, and her arms begged her to drop her precious package. Yet she refused all their requests. If she could get to each, Yang would be safe. All she had to do was run.

Blake tossed a quick glance over her shoulder and quickened her pace by several magnitudes. The tips of Chomp-Chomp's teeth were only a few inches away from her and Yang. The rain of icy debris that flew out from the rampage bombarded Blake’s path, and she zig-zagged, leaped, and dodged around the large chunks of fallen ice.

“Almost there,” Blake said as she spotted their car approaching closer and closer. Safety was almost in her grasp. Just a little bit more and–

Boom! Out of nowhere, Chomp-Chomp blasted through the surface in front of her and charged straight out Blake, it’s maw an abyss that threatened to swallow her whole. Blake stopped and took half a step back, and in a split second, she assessed her options. There was no time to turn around. The micro-seconds she would spend pivoting the other direction would allow the Grimm to catch up to her. With Yang in her arms, she couldn’t roll out of the way either. She was trapped.

“Jump it, Blake!”

Just as Chomp-Chomp’s toothy pit was about to swallow her whole, without realizing what she was doing, Blake leaped on top of the Grimm. She scampered down it’s boisterous back, side-stepped it’s pitch black top fin sailing past her, and jumped onto the icy basin. As soon as she hit the ground, she began to sprint once more. At this point, every single muscle in her body was close to tearing itself apart. Her steps had become more like clomps, her posture haggard and wavy. But all of that didn’t matter. Twenty feet. Ten feet. Five feet.

Summoning one last burst of energy, Blake jumped onto the bank. The overwhelming sense of relief was only matched by the sense of exhaustion. Blake trudged further into the bank towards the car, set Yang on the ground, and collapsed next to her on the sand.

“Y-yang?” Blake said between haggard breaths. “Are you okay?”

Yang fluttered her eyes open, a gloss shining over them, and let out a low moan.

“Yeah, I’m good,” said Yang. She pushed herself off the ground and into a sitting position, the large effort it took evident in her slow, lethargic movements. As she was about to stand up, Yang released a sharp exhale and clutched her stomach with one hand. “Gonna feel that in the morning, or right now. Think it bruised a rib. How about you?”

“I’m fine, just tired,” said Blake. After making sure her insides were not going to spill out on the sand from the movement, Blake sat up and scooted herself to Yang. “Surprised you got taken out so fast.”

“Must have used my semblance too much beforehand making myself a human heater.” Yang laid her eyes on Blake and gave a soft grin. “Thanks for saving me from becoming fish food.”

“I’m just glad you're safe,” said Blake.

Yang turned her attention to the lake and gazed out at the waters. “You managed to out-run a shark while carrying me all the way over here? Wow.”

Blake ran a hand through her raven-black hair and sighed. “It was one of the most terrifying things I have ever done. I’m never eating fish again.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.”

“I know.”

Yang put her left hand over her eyes to block the sun and said, “Do you think it’s gone now?”

A large crackle and blast of ice from the middle of the lake answered Yang’s question. The Grimm patrolled the make-shift path it made for itself while chasing Blake, it’s midnight hide sticking out like a sore thumb next to the white ice. It’s two red orbs peeked out of the water, the black silica poking and prodding at the two women from afar. 

“Whelp, looks like we’re going to need back up,” said Yang. She put her hands on her knees and carefully lifted herself up. “Let’s get Ruby and Weiss over here, and tomorrow, we’ll come up with a plan.”

“Sounds good,” said Blake as she stood up. “I’m pretty sure we have at least two more nights at the resort too. We can all share a room.”

“Awesome,” said Yang. “Whelp, I’m gonna start the car. I would say let’s pack our things, but I’m pretty sure ol’ Chompy ate them all.”

Blake chuckled and said, “Yeah.” She slipped her hand into her pocket just to make sure she at least had the ring–It’s gone. The ring is gone. Like a baseball bat to the head, panic hit Blake over the head. She plunged her hand into her other pocket but came up with the same result. Then her back pockets, her coat pockets, and even her bra. It was nowhere to be found. Blake darted her eyes across the beach to see if she had dropped it somewhere but found no magical glisten in the sand. She just had it with her, right before Chomp-Chomp appeared and– She had looped the ring onto the hook. Chomp-Chomp ate the hook. Therefore….

“Fuck.”

“Believe me, we will be doing plenty of that when we get back to the lodge.”

Blake whipped around to Yang and, with conviction seething in her voice, said, “I’m killing this thing today.”

Yang raised an eyebrow and said, “Wait, what?”

Blake curled her hands into balls and said, “I’m not waiting for a few days. Chomp-Chomp has to go, now.”

Yang opened her eyes wide and dropped her jaw a little. “Um, Blake, listen. In normal circumstances, I’d be right there with you with the whole ‘killing the giant Grimm’ thing. But we need the whole team for this fight.”

Blake folded her arms, tapped her foot, and looked to the side. Yang was right. Alone, she stood no chance against Chomp-Chomp. Yang had no aura either. The smart move would be to wait for back-up. However, she didn’t have time for smart. This was like one of the movies she and Yang watched last night. The shark was about to bite down on the main protagonists, but at the last second, he stuck an air tank in its mouth and blew it up. Such an attack wouldn’t work in real life, however. An air tank wouldn’t kill that thing. No, she needed something bigger, like….

Blake shot her eyes over to their rusty rental, and then to Yang’s gauntlets. A plan formulated in her head. A stupid, dumb, impossible plan that she was sure could work.

Blake extended her hand out to Yang. “Give me some of your mines.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

“I’m going to plant them into the engine of the car, drive out to the lake, have the Grimm bite the car, jump out, and blow it up.”

Yang stared at Blake for a good ten seconds, her mouth agape. “That has to be….. the hottest thing you have ever said to me.” She flicked her wrist, exposed her gauntlet's chambers, and picked out four small cylindrical purple mines.

“When you jump out of the car, I’ll activate them from over here and blow that son-of-a-gun to kingdom come,” said Yang.

“Got it.” Just as Blake was about to turn away towards the car, she raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re not mad we’re blowing up the rental?”

Yang wrapped her arms around Blake’s waist and kissed her on the lips, transferring a summer warmth into her body only Yang could provide.

“Baby,” whispered Yang, “I love it when you go bat-shit crazy.” Yang punctuated her sentence with a firm slap to Blake’s rear, which made the Faunus immediately blush brighter than a tomato. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Blake mumbled a humble, “You got it,” and walked towards the car. Shark or no Shark, she’s proposing to this woman today and then rocking her world tonight. Blake popped open the hood of the vehicle and stuck the four mines on the engine, each placement of the mine making a small “ting” on the rusty metalwork. She put down the hood and jumped into the driver's seat. The bronze key was still stabbed into the ignition slot. Blake rolled her head around her shoulders, took a deep breath, and turned the key. The car roared to life and made a steady ticking sound from the engine. It probably wasn’t advised by the rental place to put live bombs inside the most explosive place in the vehicle, but Blake couldn’t worry about that now. She was about to go fishing.

Blake slammed her foot on the gas pedal and vaulted the car forward. Her head knocked against the back of the headrest as the momentum pressed against her. As the car flew onto the icy surface, Blake jolted from side to side in her seat. After driving out about half a mile, Blake flicked her eyes to the rearview mirror and saw a large crackling trail of broken ice behind her.

Blake rolled down her window and shouted, “Come and get me, Fish-Head!” She made a mental note that if she made it out of this alive to work on her one-liners. Yang was a pro at those.

As if answering her challenge, Chomp-Chomp emerged from the ice about a hundred feet to the right side of the car and barrelled towards her.

“That’s it, come on,” said Blake, her hands locking on to the steering wheel. “Just a little bit closer.” Her knees began to quiver, sweat beaded down her brow, and her breath once again became short. The gargantuan black maw was about to hit the car in three, two, one.

Blake leaped out her window as soon as she heard the first protest of metal against the Grimm’s teeth. She rolled onto the ground and tumbled about for a few seconds, but pulled herself up in just in time to hear the shattering of the windows. Blake sprinted across the ice, turned to the distant yellow dot that was Yang, cupped her hands to her mouth, and screamed.

“NOW!”

The entire atmosphere seemed to shake as Blake’s ears were deafened by the violent explosion behind her. She felt the thermal impact warm against her backside like an ironer to a piece of cloth. Out of the sky fell bits and pieces of the slain car into Blake’s path, like some nuts and bolts, the car door the nuts and bolts were attached to, and a flaming car tire.

After running a good distance away from the explosion, Blake stopped and turned around to gaze at the destruction she had wrought. The sinking crimson carcass of the car was all that remained, going down into the water like a waterboarded ship. There was no sign of Chomp-Chomp anywhere. No malformed corpse, no black dust, nothing. Blake allowed a small laugh to slip her lips as she put her hands on her hips. It actually worked. Her half-baked plan actually worked. The self-assured smirk disappeared, however, once the last burning scrap sunk into the water. Now that the Grimm was dead, how the hell was she going to get the ring?

“Blake!”

Blake turned her attention to Yang once more, who was in the midst of a colorful celebration on the beach, jumping and waving her hands about. Blake lifted her left hand up and inched it left to right. Dread and worry topped off the growing anxiety inside of Blake. As far as she knew, the ring could be plummeting to the bottom of the lake alongside the charred car seat and roof top.

“Beeeehiiiind youuuuuuuu!”

Wait. What was that from Yang? She looked at her partner once again and saw that she was waving her hands more frantically now.

“Beeehiiiiiiind youuuuuuuu!”

Behind her?

“BLAKE! LOOK BEHIND YOU!”

Blake heard a singular crack of the ice behind her and whirled around. As if rising from the depths of Hell itself, Chomp-Chomp burst out of the frozen basin and lunged at Blake, its hide now covered in vermillion flames. Just as its collection of pale steeples were about to insert themselves into the Faunus, Blake leaped to right, leaving an unfortunate shadow clone behind to absorb the blow. The Grimm steam rolled past her and trained its left eye on its victim. As the burning monstrosity feigned back around for another bite at Blake, she saw how critical its state was. Most of its body was charred to an even darker shade of black, it’s once strong lower jaw now hung to the right, off-center from the rest of it’s mangled form. Jagged scraps of metal inserted themselves around its face and mouth, like the most horrific sea-themed pincushion. And its eyes, its eyes were leaking some sort of black icker from its surrounding tears. Never in Blake’s life had she ever encountered such a horrible, broken beast. Within her bosom, below the overwhelming depths of fear she felt at the moment, some strange form of pity sprouted. No one should be in this much pain, not even a monster, she thought.

The malformed creature continued to turn left, and Blake swung out Gambol Shroud in preparation. However, the Grimm didn’t make a beeline towards the huntress as she expected. Instead, it kept turning left, trudging its way through the ice, and circled a sort of perimeter around Blake. She stepped back into the center of this make-shift circle as the Grimm kept swirling around and around her. With each rotation, the Grimm shaved off parcels of solid ground and shrunk the circle. Blake switched her long blade part of Gambol shroud into its pistol form and fired round after round at the Grimm. The monstrosity leaked out more black fluids out from its hide but seemed utterly unfettered.

“Damn it,” said Blake. She sprinted across the now miniature island and attempted to jump the ten-foot gap of water to the rest of the lake. Just as she was about to launch herself forward, however, the Grimm rushed out of the water in front of her and charged. Blake rolled to her left and felt the rush of wind upcoming jaws. Blake turned around and fired more shots into Chomp-Chomp’s back. Mid-way through its rampage into the miniature island, the Grimm submerged itself. A few seconds later, it’s topsail blackfin stabbed it’s way out of the ice from the other side of the island. Like a dagger carving through a pig’s flesh, the fin cut across the remaining piece of ice. It was almost surgical how precise the Grimm was in trimming off the excess fat. Each cut off piece floated far away from its whole being. Soon enough, Blake was left with a space only a few feet wide. Blake stood in place and clutched her weapons. By now, the tiny island had drifted away from the mainland, much too far to jump to safety. Soon, she would run out of space to dodge the creature’s attacks. She was trapped. After cutting off another large chunk of the island from Blake, the aquatic terror rose and stampeded towards her. Such hate and anger filled its eyes. It’s previous ravenous mania now seemed like a calm, elegant demeanor, as the beast gnashed and chomped at imaginary morsels into the air. The rotor end of the tail flailed back and forth by only a few strands of scarred flesh, and its gills pumped out thick, shiny globs of black blood. It was as if Chomp-Chomp was on its last stand, hellbent on taking its executioner down with it. It was over. It was all over.

“BLAKE!”

Blake turned her head. Yang was dashing across the basin in a desperate sprint, almost slipping upon the ice multiple before steadying, her sunflower hair striking a magnificent path across the white landscape. Blake let out a sad chuckle. Here she was, going over ways to run away once again, while Yang was charging forward ahead. Always facing danger head-on, like a cowgirl riding a–wait a minute. A strange, absurd thought wormed its way in Blake’s head. Blake put the sheath on her back and loosed up her right hand. The silky smooth ribbon flowed down her palm. After extending the ribbon several feet, Blake whirled the scythe end into the air like some sort of lasso. She bounced around her knees and squinted her eyes at the upcoming beast. No more running. No more dodging. Time to be a cowgirl.

Chomp-Chomp extended it’s maw as far as it could, gulping in gallons of lake water it prepared to swallow Blake whole. Blake ran at the beast, and with the grace of a soaring hawk, jumped, swung her scythe into the right side of its mouth, and with a tug of the ribbon, pulled the trigger. She landed on Grim's back and wobbled about in an attempt to maintain some sort of balance on the hellish ride. In the corner of her eye, her scythe swung out from the other side of the Grimm’s jaws. With another tug of her ribbon, the scythe let out another shot and flew back to its master. Blake caught it with her left hand and, with her make-shift rein complete, she pulled both sides of the rope with all her might. Her back muscles strained and coiled. Chomp-Chomp reared up its head out of the water a few inches and began to throw it about.

“Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!” said Blake as she tugged on the reins and held on for dear life. Somehow during her hastily made plan, she failed to account for the immense strength difference between a Grimm shark and a 5’6 beanpole. She leaned her body to the right and tried to steer the creature to the sands of the beach, but the Grimm refused to budge on its set path, which appeared to be heading towards a familiar yellow blob on the ice.

“Yang! Watch out!” said Blake. Even as Blake was jumbled about on her wild steed, she could see Yang’s face stretch with surprise. Then, as Blake was sure her eyeballs would roll out of her skull from the shaking, she caught a glimpse of a familiar smirk.

A tidal wave of freezing water rattled Blake, forcing her to shut her eyes. As she felt each side of the ribbons in her hands start to slip, her back was enveloped with sudden warmth.

“I gotta say, this is one of the best plans you have ever come up with.”

Blake opened her eyes and looked behind her. Holding on to both parts of the rein, with an audacious smile challenging the entire world to throw whatever it may at her, was Yang. “I think I got enough juice left in me for one more burn,” said Yang. “Let’s reel this sucker in!”

Time after time, Yang Xiao Long had managed to blow her away, and this was no expectation. Blake’s heart blossomed with awe and wonder at this proud warrior. Blake flashed a fierce smile and said, “Let’s do it!”

Yang threw her head back and cackled into the wind. Her hair turned into a majestic golden pyre, a sight that would make the even sun envious. With a hearty tug of the ribbons, Yang yanked the Grimm’s head towards the beach. The Grimm shook its head in vain as it attempted to change course.

“Oh no you don’t!” said Yang as she ripped back the reins. “You’re our catch of the day!”

With the force of an out of control freight train, Chomp-Chomp slammed into the sands of the beach, and Blake and Yang were thrown off. After a quick flip in the air, Blake landed onto the plush ground, with Yang landing right beside her. Chomp-Chomp flopped and squirmed on the dry land, the sand coating the black hide with a whitish-yellow accent. It chomped the air and bashed it’s tail into the sand, kicking up thousands of particles. The beast displayed a dance of violence, the only language it knew how to communicate to Blake, until, at last, it laid still. The Grimm shot one last look at Blake, almost as a sort of farewell, and closed its eyes. In an instant, it’s entire body dissolved into smoky ash, and with a brush of the wind, floated off into the air.

Blake fell to her knees and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“That was probably the wo–”

“Most amazing thing we have ever done!”

Blake turned her head. Yang was tip-tapping on the sand and pumping her fists in the air like an excited child. Apparently, the thrill ride of riding a gigantic killer shark hadn’t squeezed all the energy out of her partner.

“You’re crazy,” said Blake.

“And you’re the genius who came up with the idea,” said Yang.

Blake brought herself up and wiped her knees. “Yep, I feel so smart right now.”

She traveled over to where the Grimm laid and picked up the other part of Gambol shroud. The ribbon had been frayed in its midsection and was held together by a single strand of silk. Blake silently thanked her weapon for its endurance and put it in her sheath.

“Woah. Look at this! The Grimm swallowed a ring.”

Blake stood up straight and glanced over to Yang. The glint of light, even in the damped winter sun, was unmistakable. Between Yang’s fingers laid the ring, it’s tangerine skin glowing almost like a mystical item.

“It looks so beautiful,” said Yang. Yang gazed at the ring and flipped it around. She ran her left pointer finger around it’s rim and chuckled. “Even after being in the belly of a shark, it still feels amazing. Here, look at it!”

Blake stood there, dumbfounded on what to do.

“Um, wow, that’s-that’s crazy,” said Blake.

Yang flipped the ring around a few times, and her eyes grew wide.

“Holy crap. It has the Sunflower Pop logo on it. I think someone made a bottle cap into a ring. Weird.”

“Uh, yeah, real weird,” said Blake as she felt her face be consumed in fire. She wished Chomp-Chomp would magically come to life and swallow her whole.

Yang put out her left hand and said, “Gimme the bottle cap. I want to see if the colors match.”

Blake stared at Yang and felt frozen in place. This was not according to plan, not at all. They had been attacked by a gigantic Grimm, Yang had found the ring first, and Blake was soaking wet. Everything had fallen apart. Yet, there was something about Yang’s smile that said something different. Whether it was the curl of her lips, the gentleness in her eyes, or how the waves caressed her form in the background without contact. In this moment, everything felt right.

“You’re holding it.”

Yang looked at Blake with a befuddled expression. “What are you talking about.”

Blake swallowed whatever courage she had left and said, “T-the ring. It’s mine. More like yours, but it-it’s mine.”

“What are you talking about?”

Blake shifted her foot in the sand and bit her lip. “I meant it to be a surprise. You would reel up your line and find the ring attached to it. Obviously, it didn’t go as planned.”

Yang stared at Blake and then back at the ring. “So, you wanted to give this to me as a present, or, you know?”

Blake nodded.

“Oh. Oh wow.” Yang chuckled, but Blake could still see the shock sprawl across her face.

“I, uh, I don’t know what to say.”

“You could always say “No.”

Yang flipped her head towards Blake and opened her mouth a little. “What are you talking about?”

Blake looked down to the sand. Droplets had begun to fall from the sky, staining the yellow canvas, yet there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

“I just don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. Like, blindside you or anything.”

As the words tumbled out of her mouth, Blake tasted bitterness and poison. They felt, untruthful, unearnest. Lies that stabbed at her tongue and made her spit out tainted platitudes. No more. Perhaps what Adam said was right. She was selfish. But to Hell with him.

Blake took the ring from Yang’s hand and got down on one knee. Her voice verged on shattering into tiny shards, but she held it together by sheer willpower. With the weight of a thousand sins upon her back, Blake said, “Yang, I know I haven’t been a good partner. Years ago, I made the worst mistake of my life. I ran away from those who needed me most. I was selfish, ignorant, and unworthy. Every day, I regret not being there for you. I should have been there to share your pain, to ease your burdens, to do all that I could to make you feel loved. I didn’t though, and I will always be lesser for it. But I made a promise to never leave your side again. And every day, I work towards fulfilling that oath.”

Blake felt tears stream down her cheeks, and her breath grow short. The ring grew heavy in her hands, but she refused to let it drop. “This is my promise made form. This is the embodiment of every “I love you” I have ever said. You make me feel like I’m worth something, Yang. You make me feel real. And I must make sure I’m worthy of that feeling. As long as you need me, Yang, I’ll always be there. I’ll be your shadow, following you through the day and night, no matter what.”

Blake looked Yang in the eyes. Her partner had mirrored Blake’s own expression and had let the tears flow. Yang curled her lips upwards and placed her hands on her mouth. There would be no turning back now. Charge ahead.

“Yang Xiao Long, will you marry me?”

Yang, her voice as gentle as a rolling tide, nodded her head and said, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

Blake sprouted a well of relief, joy, and mirth inside her body. She smiled, possibly larger than she could have ever imagined, and slipped the ring on Yang’s finger. It fit as though it always belonged there, as if it was the only place it could be. Blake rose from the ground, pulled Yang close, and kissed her. The embrace was ethereal, transcendent even. What happened upon that beach, next to the fractured lake, in the middle of the snow-coated forest, was the birth of an idea. A powerful, all-consuming theme that spoke to the entire world. For those who run away into the night, who believe themselves much too far gone, they need only to turn back and embrace the light. And then, there would be love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This has been my longest work yet. I hope you enjoyed it! Again, if you want to see the art for this piece, click here! https://twitter.com/Kiyomi_des/status/1354126129364258816?s=20


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